IX. Albanian Expedition (24.09-05.10.2013.)

[Edvard Mizsei]

Hi!

A like to show you some pictures from our last trip to Albania. We had a very good weather with only two rainy days.


Our car, the Tiger!


Malpolon insignitus


Sternbergia colhiciflora at the viper habitat.


Happy albanian hunter.


Bufotes viridis at ~1850m.


Some Vipera ursinii graeca habitat discovered by our group.


Our camp site.


Habitat.


Grazing in the clouds. In this locality the viper habitat is very small, less than 6 square km. Local shepherds are grazing here more than 2500 sheeps, and 500 goats.


First recaptured specimen in our research, after giving birth.


And! We observed a birth in the wild!!!!


First sheding - take a look on the bright coloration on the corners of the zig-zag pattern!

Next week I will post more pictures!

[Gerald Ochsenhofer]

Nice..!

Bufotes

.. I obviously missed something again..

Do I interpret it right, that there's a "high" grazing-pressure on the whole habitat? Cause I thought, if intensive, that's one of the limiting factors for ursinii.

[Mario Schweiger]

Nice..!

Bufotes

.. I obviously missed something again..

The birth pictures are great!

Mario

[Tom Hoogesteger]

FANTASTIC!

[Guillaume Gomard]

Huge congrats for the birth picture, really unusual to see this by V.ursinii in the wild . I look forward seeing the rest of your pictures. What was the scientific goal of your trip?

[Edvard Mizsei]

What was the scientific goal of your trip?

We are working on distribuiton and conservation status of Vipera ursinii in Albania. Also we are collecting all kind of faunistic data for a further diversity mapping study.

Do I interpret it right, that there's a "high" grazing-pressure on the whole habitat? Cause I thought, if intensive, that's one of the limiting factors for ursinii.

Yes. This is the reason why we whant to test the effect with grazing exclusion.



Podarcis tauricus ionicus


Camp site close to Shalesi.


Balázs Vági and Sternbergia lutea


Ammo with sternbergia


Malpolon insignitus


Hemidactylus turcicus


Testudo marginata very rare in Albania, we found this species at six localities in the last years.


Ammo


Platyceps najadum


Telescopus fallax


Lissotriton graecus


Hierophis gemonensis


The 'unique' herpetological collection at University of Eqrem Cabej, Gjirokastra. Left: Elaphe longissima (Telescopus fallax screwed on big Lacerta), Center: Testudo marginata, Rigth: Elaphe longissima (Hierophis gemonensis).


Ministry of Environment, Forest and Water Administration, Tirana.We went to start a request procedure to collect tissue samples... I think this is a begining of a never ending story.


Somewhere close to Burrel or Ulez.


Amanita caesarea!


Ammo close to a Vipera ursinii macrops habitat.


Hiking


Very close to the macrops habiat!!


Nice weather at the macrops habitat. From left to right: Daniel Koleska, Bálint Üveges, Daniel Jablonski, Balázs Vági and me.


Salamandra salamandra larvae.


Vipera ursinii macrops!


Vaccinum at the viper habitat!


Coronella austriaca at 2050m.


Habitat of Coronella, and maybe macrops.


Our last camp site in Albania.


The tricolor of Vipera ursinii macrops habitat.


Good morning!




Vipera ursinii macrops male.


Vipera ursinii macrops female.


Triturus macedonicus


Lacerta agilis bosnica


Huge Rana dalmatina.


Huge Bombina vaeriegata.


From left to right: Balázs Vági, me, Daniel Jablonski, Daniel Koleska, Bálint Üveges.


Very nice local transport

[Mario Schweiger]

Very nice report and excellent pictures!

Mario

[Matthijs Hollanders]

Great!

[Alexandre Roux]

Holy shit !
Birth in the wild, you guys are too lucky ! And what wonderful pictures you did !!!!

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Loved this. The whole set has a certain '"into the wild" feel that's so rare in Europe.